Spanish soccer star Alexia Putellas isn’t afraid to try new workouts and take on new challenges when it comes to her fitness. Putellas, 30, shared a video of herself wearing soccer gear, boxing gloves, and a big black jacket, sparring with a friend out on the field. “Alexia Putellas, boxer for a day,” FC Barcelona Femeni captioned the post. Putellas is known for her drive and exceptional fitness both on season and when she’s training off season. Here’s how she stays strong and happy.
Putellas trains for two hours every day, mixing up a variety of strength exercises using body weight and low-impact equipment. “Your body fat percentage will increase over time if you don’t do anything to replace the lean muscle you lose over time. Strength training can help you preserve and enhance your muscle mass at any age,” says the Mayo Clinic.
Putellas switched to a plant-based diet after getting injured and found it helpful with her recovery. “The first thing I stopped eating was red meat and I introduced plant-based milk and yogurts,” she told The Beet. “Now, there are a lot of high-quality plant-based protein options on the market and it’s easier to stick to a plant-based diet. The most important for me is to make sure I am eating what my body needs to perform and recover, and that’s why I also have my own nutritionist who helps me every day.”
Putellas has good advice for any athletes thinking about switching to a vegan diet. “I feel much better. I thought I was not gonna be able to get enough energy and strength from plant-based food but it’s been great since I changed my diet,” she told The Beet. “Feeling lighter, recovering quicker, less inflammation, and full of energy. If you are an athlete you have to be very careful with your diet because every single meal you have is gonna affect your performance and recovery. You want to make sure your body gets all the nutrients needed. Also, supplementation is very important. Vitamin D, iron, vitamin B12.”
Putellas is always focused on elevating her game and performance. “Football is a game of mistakes,” she told FIFA. “And if you lose, you’ve made a mistake, sure. And even in winning, surely you have committed some [mistakes], despite the result and that you have won. I always think that there are things to improve and if there are things to improve, then you have to keep working.”
Putellas wants young women to stay focused and strong when following their dreams in the athletic world. “I would tell her to be strong and fight for her passion, that she shouldn’t even think of giving it up, because in the end she would be letting those who tell her not to play win,” she told EL PAÍS. Unfortunately, she is right that there is still a long way to go, even though it has advanced so quickly. But it goes beyond that; it is a matter of education, a matter of culture. That takes many years to change, but we have to do it.”